Zika virus, which is fast spreading through Latin American countries, has already been reported in ME and MA.
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Dan Fulton, a specialist in the Infectious Diseases Department at McFarland Clinic, said that along with precautions against the Zika virus, travelers to the affected areas should also consider preventable diseases such as Hepatitis A and Typhoid fever.
The department also reported four new confirmed cases of dengue, bringing the total for 2016 to seven.
As New England deals with its first few cases of the Zika virus, the disease has hit residents of a US territory hard.
“This Zika virus case is not a threat to public health”, Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County Health Officer, stated in the release.
The North Bay’s first case of Zika virus has been detected in a pregnant Napa County woman who recently traveled to Central America, public health officials said Wednesday.
The virus is suspected of having strong links to microcephaly, severe brain damage among newborns characterized by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) wants people to understand the facts about the Zika virus.
The virus causes mild illness or no symptoms in most people, but there are suspicions it could be behind a surge in disturbing birth defects, including microcephaly.
The Utah Department of Health recommend preventing mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, using repellents with DEET and removing standing water, where mosquitos live and breed.
There is no vaccine to prevent Zika and no specific medical treatment for the patients infected. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html for the most current list of countries affected by Zika virus. Health officials are working with local health care providers to ensure that those who meet the criteria are tested.
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A female Aedes Aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from her human host.
